black ace wrote:I cant see the Avs passing on Jones. Local kid, ties to Sakic, team needs a d-man....

unless they really see flaws in his game but then he likely wouldnt be rated #1.

Some scouts don't think he's all that, or not the best player in the draft

I think it comes down to this. McKinnon is pretty much a sure thing super star, where as, Jones could be OK. I personally think, Jones, Drouin, Nichushkin and Barkov will end up being better NHL'ers than Jones. If I was Colorado I'd take McKinnon. I know everyone is looking for the next Zdeno Chara I just think McKinnon is too good to pass up. Drouin is a tough call but the other 3 I could see going ahead of Jones. Nichushkin may end up being the real superstar of the bunch. Fuck it, I give up, you are getting damn fine prospect if you are picking in the top 5.

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

I spent 8 days at the Memorial Cup in Saskatoon watching the big 3 draft picks and many others in the lineups. Without a doubt MacKinnon is the best player...by far. He is a complete player that executes his game to perfection. Speed,hockey sense,forechecking,back checking,and possibly the best stick handler I have seen in years of junior hockey.If you pass on this dude you are a fool. In the case of Jones...yes he is big,but...he lacks that certain (nastiness) that an NHL defenseman needs.I believe his footspeed is suspect as well. MacKinnon undressed him numerous times during the games...quite easily. I thought Pouliot was Portlands best Dman. What I did find out was the number of Penguin defensive prospects there. I thought Harrington,Pouliot and Maata(3 Penguin prospects) all outperformed Jones. I think Popeye's boy gets alot of press because of who Daddy is. I watched Jones play 5 times this season and was not overly impressed by his skills.

It is almost certain that Gillis will maintain his position of selecting the best player available with the 24th pick of the draft. Regular season success has taken its toll on the team's drafting position, so a safe selection like 2012 pick Brendan Gaunce is probable once more.

If searching for a drafting pattern over the past three seasons, it would be that they have used one-third of their draft picks on defensemen. Of their 18 picks in the last three years, six of them were blueliners. Half of these were selected in the 2010 draft, though, and last year, they focused on their forward group, with two centers and two left wingers, with only one defenseman taken.

Interestingly enough, though there is a distinct Swedish element present in their NHL lineup, the Canucks selected four Canadians and one American in the 2012 draft. Also of note, the Canucks have avoided selecting players from the WHL, as their last four players from that league have been busts. The last time they selected from that league was in 2008, when they chose Prab Rai and Morgan Clark in later rounds. The QMJHL and OHL have been recent favorites for Vancouver; it is likely they will reap a few more from these two leagues again this season.

The Canucks have six picks in the 2013 draft. They own the 24th, 85th, 115th, 145th, 175th, and 205th draft picks.

Adam Erne is exactly what the Vancouver Canucks organization needs at this time – a budding power forward that has some wheels. He loves to hit and has demonstrated from a young age that he is very successful playing that style. There is little denying that his multifaceted, all-around game with some physical flare is just what the doctor ordered for Vancouver. If he continues to grow his game as he has every step of the way in his career thus far, Erne could be a top-six fixture for the Canucks for a long time.http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/9 ... more-91821"

Given that Delorme is now focused on the WHL with Snepts moved elsewhere, hopefully he can find someone decent to draft from the WHL!

the Dogsalmon wrote: I watched Jones play 5 times this season and was not overly impressed by his skills.

Some scouts think the same. I think Jones will fall a few...too many good forwards. If I'm picking in the top 4 I'm picking one of McKinnon, Barkov, Jones, Nichushkin ahead of him. Hell, even Nurse could end up being just as good as Jones if non better. There are still some very good forwards left after that, Monahan, Lindholm, Horvat, Domi

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

Just some interesting tidbits I found on Hockey News draft preview with players who may be available or have to trade up to, I'm hoping we get a center as the team is severely lacking in that department, and we need to plan for the future for the team, but if one of the better wingers are still available like Erne or Zykov, obviously you gotta take em.

Have to trade up big time to snag one of these picks.

Darnell Nurse.
plays a nasty physical game, can skate and move the puck well while putting up points future #1 dman.

Kerby Rychel (LW 6-1, 200) shoots left. Character player who scores and fights, more of a goal scorer than passer/playmaker.

Valentin Zykov (RW 6-0, 210) shoots right. good size, protects puck well, goes into dirty areas, played in QMJHL (good for russian factor, as in he wants to stay in NA), good shot/quick release, wants to score, works very hard!

Gillis has had a tendency to pick centres with his first round picks (Hodgson, Schroeder, Gaunce) and has never picked a defenseman or goaltender in the first round.

There don’t appear to be many centres ranked around our first round pick. It’s impossible to know what will be available at pick 24, but I assume Gillis will be going after a forward with size, which has been his recent strategy with Gaunce and Jensen.

There aren’t many huge guys in this draft. Most guys seem to be around the 6’ mark and under 200 pounds. Adam Erne, Frederik Gauthier, Kerby Rychel and Ryan Hartman may be available when we pick. Any of these would be a good pick. Even Morgan Klimchuk, who is described as a guy who plays a versatile, multi-dimensional game, would be a good pick. I would not be averse to drafting a defenseman in the first round like Pulock, Morrissey or Hagg either.

Reading stuff around the net and I get the feeling that neither Erne nor Rychel will be around at #24. Was reading a blog saying the Sabres had both those players to an invitation-only camp to put them through some drills. They're picking 16th or 18th. I've heard of other teams picking higher than Vancouver taking good looks at both of them.

Chalk it up to the 'Lucic' factor, I guess. Either of them would be a good pick-up. I would steer clear of Gauthier. Sounds like a bigger version of Nathan Smith IMHO. Mantha would be a bit of a roll of the dice in terms of him having the physicality and drive to use his size to be better than a 50-goal scorer in junior. Still, it would be nice to have a prospect who can just whip a puck accurately and score from above the circles.

Lancer wrote:Reading stuff around the net and I get the feeling that neither Erne nor Rychel will be around at #24. Was reading a blog saying the Sabres had both those players to an invitation-only camp to put them through some drills. They're picking 16th or 18th. I've heard of other teams picking higher than Vancouver taking good looks at both of them.

Chalk it up to the 'Lucic' factor, I guess. Either of them would be a good pick-up. I would steer clear of Gauthier. Sounds like a bigger version of Nathan Smith IMHO. Mantha would be a bit of a roll of the dice in terms of him having the physicality and drive to use his size to be better than a 50-goal scorer in junior. Still, it would be nice to have a prospect who can just whip a puck accurately and score from above the circles.

Mantha would be dynamite and fit the bill but get real, he won't make it out of the top 15 or 20.

Lancer wrote:Reading stuff around the net and I get the feeling that neither Erne nor Rychel will be around at #24. Was reading a blog saying the Sabres had both those players to an invitation-only camp to put them through some drills. They're picking 16th or 18th. I've heard of other teams picking higher than Vancouver taking good looks at both of them.

Chalk it up to the 'Lucic' factor, I guess. Either of them would be a good pick-up. I would steer clear of Gauthier. Sounds like a bigger version of Nathan Smith IMHO. Mantha would be a bit of a roll of the dice in terms of him having the physicality and drive to use his size to be better than a 50-goal scorer in junior. Still, it would be nice to have a prospect who can just whip a puck accurately and score from above the circles.

Mantha would be dynamite and fit the bill but get real, he won't make it out of the top 15 or 20.